E-Cigarettes May Help Some Quit Tobacco Smoking

FRIDAY, June 22, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Some individuals self-report that electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) help them quit smoking conventional cigarettes, according to a small study published online June 20 in the Harm Reduction Journal.

Caitlin Notley, Ph.D., from the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom, and colleagues explored patterns of e-cigarette use and reported experiences of 40 vapers quitting smoking using an e-cigarette.

The researchers found that the cohort self-reported long histories of tobacco use and multiple previous quit attempts, which had eventually resulted in relapse back to smoking. A small group had never before attempted to quit. For some, initiating e-cigarette use was a revelation as they were able to quickly fully switch to using e-cigarettes as an alternative to tobacco smoking. However, for others, there were periods of dual use or smoking relapse combined with attempts at vaping that were not initially satisfactory. Dual use was accompanied by experimentation with different devices and different setups.

"E-cigarettes meet the needs of some ex-smokers by substituting physical, psychological, social, cultural and identity-related aspects of tobacco addiction," the authors write.